Difficulties In Giving Salk Vaccine To Adults

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 9

Difficulties In Giving Salk Vaccine To Adults

“The Press? Special Service

WELLINGTON, May 18. The difficulties in the way of extending the Salk vaccination scheme against poliomyelitis to adult groups were virtually insurmountable, the director of the Health Department's division of public health (Dr. D. P. Kennedy) said today. He said the Board of Health’s epidemiology advisory committee had considered the question of such an extension at its meeting on April 20. However, it felt that the difficulties, concerned with the storage temperature for the vaccine, were virtually insurmountable.

The Health Department had, however, accepted the committee's recommendation that stocks of oral vaccine be

kept at such a level so as to vaccinate all for whom this was deemed advisable, in the event of an epidemic or a significant outbreak of poliomyelitis. Negotiations were at present under way to obtain a supply of oral vaccine from Canada. This vaccine would be confined as a routine to infant* of up to 12 months. Salk vaccine would continue to be available to all others eligible under the present scheme.

Dr. Kennedy said there had been a disappointing response from the late teen-age group in this country to polio immunisation. This was the group which the Department of Health had hoped would take full advantage of the programme.